With postseason hopes gone, Virginia must approach rivalry game like bowl

November 16, 2012|By Norm Wood, nwood@dailypress.com | 757-247-4642

In Virginia coach Mike London's opinion, it was a chance to send a message to North Carolina. No better time for such a defiant act than in his team's own house on Thursday night in front of a nationally televised crowd.

Yet, UNC wasn't having any of what London and his struggling group had to offer when the Cavaliers trailed by seven late in the third quarter and faced fourth-and-goal from the Tar Heels' 1-yard line. Getting running back Kevin Parks stuffed for a 2-yard loss on the run was the beginning of the end for U.Va. in its 37-13 loss to UNC, and London knew it.

"It just seems like the course of events after that were not in our favor," said London, whose team can no longer get bowl-eligible. "We didn't execute. … I think that (fourth-down stop) was a momentum killer for us right there."

U.Va. (4-7 overall, 2-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) heads into its last game of the season Nov. 24 at Virginia Tech with very little to play for other than trying to get a recently lopsided rivalry game turned around. Tech has won eight straight meetings, 12 of the last 13 matchups and hasn't lost to U.Va. since 1998 in Blacksburg.

UNC (7-4, 4-3) made sure U.Va. wouldn't be able to extend its hopes of staying involved in the postseason picture by scoring 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, getting one giant break and turning away U.Va.'s best scoring opportunities.

After keeping Parks out of the end zone while leading 20-13, UNC responded with a 97-yard touchdown drive that gave the Tar Heels a double-digit lead it wouldn't relinquish. U.Va. had a shot to get it back within one score early in the fourth quarter, but wide receiver Darius Jennings dropped what would've been a sure 81-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Phillip Sims behind the defense.

Trailing 37-13 with just under five minutes left, U.Va. was again turned away on fourth-and-goal from UNC's 3 when running back Perry Jones lost a yard on a reception from quarterback Michael Rocco.

After completing a combined 77 percent of their passes for 388 yards Nov. 10 in a 41-40 win against Miami, Sims and Rocco combined to complete just 58 percent of their passes for 205 yards, a touchdown and a Rocco interception returned for a touchdown against UNC.

"We're not happy," Rocco said. "You play for a bowl game. You play for championships, and you play to win. After a loss, it's tough, especially knowing that you're not going to be able to go to a bowl game for our seniors and the guys graduating."

While U.Va. was effective at slowing down running back Giovani Bernard, who had 57 yards rushing after entering the game with an ACC-best 1,008 rushing yards this season, the Cavaliers couldn't stop quarterback Bryn Renner.

He completed 29 of 36 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns by using mostly short passes and screens. Freshman wide receiver Quinshad Davis finished with an ACC single-game record-tying 16 catches.

Though U.Va. will have two extra days to prepare for Tech (4-6, 2-4), the Cavaliers will have to monitor the status of starting right tackle Morgan Moses, who left the UNC game late with an injury to his left leg.

London said early Friday afternoon he didn't have an update on Moses' status, but if it ended up being a sprained ankle, Moses' availability for the Tech game would depend on pain tolerance. Moses was on crutches after the UNC game.

"There's one more opportunity … one more opportunity to play with your teammates, play your in-state rival," London said. "You've got to make it your bowl game."